On 13 March 2017, after five years of antitrust proceedings against Gazprom, the EU’s commissioner for competition Margrethe Vestager announced that the European Commission (EC) was ready to settle the case. The Russian gas company was accused of abusing its dominant position on the markets of Central and South-Eastern European (CEE) countries.

Despite the ongoing market test examining the consequences of such a solution before a final decision by the EC, the conclusion of proceedings with a settlement is very likely. This would mean no formal recognition of Gazprom’s infringement of competition rules. The Russian company would avoid also any fines, despite having been charged with abuse of its dominant position and tangible losses incurred by the participants on the Central European gas market.